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“Venerable sir, this [City of] Nalanda is rich, prosperous, populous, full of people who have confidence [faith, belief] in the Blessed One.
It would be good if the Blessed One were to encourage some monastic disciple to perform supernatural feats and miracles. In this way Nalanda would come to have even more confidence.”
The Buddha replied: “Kevaddha, this is not the way I teach Dharma to the monastic disciples, saying: ‘Go, disciples, and perform supernatural feats and miracles for the white-clad lay people!’” [Faithful Buddhists in ancient India wore white when they went to see the Buddha and monastics, which they did weekly on lunar observance days.]
2. For a second time Kevaddha said: “Venerable sir, I would not be rude, but I still say: This Nalanda is rich, prosperous… and would come to have even more confidence in the Blessed One.” And the Buddha replied as before.
3. When Kevaddha repeated his request a third time, the Buddha said: “Kevaddha, there are three kinds of miracles that I have declared, having realized them through direct insight and experience. What are the three? The miracle of psychic power, the miracle of telepathy, and the miracle of instruction.
Psychic Powers
4. “What is the miracle of psychic power? Here [within the Buddha’s teaching], Kevaddha, a monastic disciple displays various psychic powers in different ways: The person being one becomes many, being many becomes one. One appears and disappears; one passes through fences, walls, and mountains unhindered as if through air; one sinks into the ground and emerges from it as if it were water; one walks on water without breaking the surface as if on land; one flies cross-legged through the sky like a bird with wings; one even touches and strokes with hand the Sun and Moon, as mighty and powerful as they are (as in “The Fruits of Recluseship” discourse, DN 2, Verse 87). And one travels in the body as far as the Brahma World [or “7th Heaven” known as Parisajja Brahma Deva Loka, “Brahma’s Retinue”]. Then someone who has confidence and trust sees that monastic doing these things.
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| Greek tele "distant" + patheia "feeling" |
5. “That person tells this to someone else who is skeptical and unbelieving saying: ‘It is wonderful, it is marvelous, the great power and skill of that ascetic…’ And that person might say: ‘There is something called the Gandhāra [invisibility] charm. It is by means of this that that monastic becomes many…’
“What do you think, Kevaddha, would not a skeptic say that to a believer?” “Yes, venerable sir.” “And that is why, Kevaddha, seeing the danger [inherent] in such miracles, I dislike, reject, and [am] loathe [to use] them.
Telepathy
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| Siddhartha’s period of severe austerities |
7. “One tells this to someone else who is skeptical and unbelieving, saying: ‘It is wonderful, it is marvelous, the great power and skill of that ascetic…’ And that person might say: ‘There is something called the Manika [mind reading jewel] charm. It is by means of this that that monastic can read the minds of others…’ And that is why, seeing the danger of such miracles, I… loathe them.
Miracle of Instruction
8. “And what is the miracle of instruction? Here, Kevaddha, a disciple gives instruction as follows: ‘Consider in this way, don’t consider in that way, give up that, gain this and persevere in it.’ That, Kevaddha, is called the miracle of instruction.
8. “And what is the miracle of instruction? Here, Kevaddha, a disciple gives instruction as follows: ‘Consider in this way, don’t consider in that way, give up that, gain this and persevere in it.’ That, Kevaddha, is called the miracle of instruction.
9-66. “Again, Kevaddha, a Tathāgata [Wayfarer, Welcome One, Well Gone One] arises in the world, an arhat, a fully-enlightened buddha, endowed with wisdom and conduct, Well-Farer, Knower of the Worlds, incomparable Trainer of Persons to be Tamed, Teacher of Deva Beings and Human Beings, enlightened and blessed.
“He, having realized it by his own super-knowledge, proclaims this world with its devas, māras, and brahmās, its princes, and peoples. He preaches the Dharma, which is lovely in the beginning, the middle, and end, in spirit and letter, and displays the fully-perfected and purified supreme life [of renunciation]. A disciple goes forth and practices the virtues... (as “The Fruits of Recluseship” discourse, DN 2, Verses 41-63).
“One guards the sense-doors and attains the [first] four absorptions (jhānas)... (as in DN 2, Verses 64-82); one attains various insights... (DN 2, Verses 83-84); one realizes the Four Noble Truths, the path, and the cessation of the corruptions (DN 2, Verses 85-97), and one knows: ‘[The ultimate goal is accomplished]…There is nothing further here.’ That, Kevaddha, is called the miracle of instruction.
“One guards the sense-doors and attains the [first] four absorptions (jhānas)... (as in DN 2, Verses 64-82); one attains various insights... (DN 2, Verses 83-84); one realizes the Four Noble Truths, the path, and the cessation of the corruptions (DN 2, Verses 85-97), and one knows: ‘[The ultimate goal is accomplished]…There is nothing further here.’ That, Kevaddha, is called the miracle of instruction.
“Once, Kevaddha, in this Monastic Order the thought occurred to a certain monastic: ‘I wonder where the four great elements -- earth, water, fire, air [actually the four characteristics of materiality: solidity, cohesion, temperature, motion] -- cease without remainder.’ And that monastic attained such a state of mental concentration [absorption] that the way to the deva-realms appeared.
Visiting the Heavens
68. “Then arriving in the [space] Realm of the Devas of the Four Great Sky Kings, that monastic asked those devas [gandharvas, entertainers, messengers]: ‘Friends, where do the four great elements -- earth, water, fire, air -- cease without remainder?’
68. “Then arriving in the [space] Realm of the Devas of the Four Great Sky Kings, that monastic asked those devas [gandharvas, entertainers, messengers]: ‘Friends, where do the four great elements -- earth, water, fire, air -- cease without remainder?’
“At this question the devas in the Realm of the Four Great Sky Kings said: ‘Monastic, we don’t know where the four great elements cease without remainder. But the Four Great Sky Kings [who look over the quadrants of space closest to Earth] are loftier and wiser than we are. They may know where the four great elements cease…’
69. “So the monastic went to the Four Great Sky Kings and asked, but they replied: ‘We don’t know, but the Thirty-Three [ruling] devas [who live in Tavatimsa, or the “Realm of the Thirty-Three”] may know…’
70. “So the monastic went to the Thirty-Three devas, who replied: ‘We don’t know, but Sakka, ruler of the [Thirty-Three] devas [as well as the Four Great Sky Kings], may know…’
71. “Sakka, ruler of the devas, said: ‘The Yāma Realm devas may know.’
72. “The Yāma Realm devas said: ‘Suyāma, born among devas, may know…’
73. “Suyāma said: ‘The Tusita Realm devas may know…’
74. “The Tusita Realm devas said: ‘Santusita, born among devas, may know…’
75. “Santusita said: ‘The Nimmānarati Realm devas may know…’
76. “The Nimmānarati Realm devas said: ‘Sunimmita, born among devas, may know…’
77.“Sunimmita said: ‘The Paranimmita-Vasavatti Realm devas may know…’
78. “The Paranimmita-Vasavatti Realm devas said: ‘Vasavatti, born among devas, may know…’
79. “Vasavatti said: ‘The devas of Brahmā’s Retinue may know…’
80. “Then that monastic, by the appropriate concentration [absorption], made the way to the Brahmā World appear and went among the devas of Brahmā’s Retinue and asked them. They said: ‘We don’t know. But there is Brahmā, Great Brahmā [Maha Brahma], the Conqueror, the Unconquered, the All-Seeing, All-Powerful, the Lord, the Maker and Creator, the Ruler, Appointer and Orderer, Parent of All That Have Been and Shall Be. That Brahma is loftier and wiser than we are and would know where the four great elements cease without remainder.’
“And where, friends, is this Great Brahmā now?”
“Monastic, we do not know when, how, or where Brahmā will appear. But when certain signs are seen -- when a light appears and a radiance shines forth -- then Brahmā will appear. Such signs are an indication that Brahma will soon appear.”
81. “Then it was not long before Great Brahmā appeared. And that monastic stepped up and said: “Friend, where do the four great elements -- earth, water, fire, air -- cease without remainder?” to which Great Brahmā replied: ‘Monastic, I am Brahmā, Great Brahmā, the Conqueror, the Unconquered, the All-Seeing, All-Powerful, the Lord, the Maker and Creator, the Ruler, Appointer and Orderer, Parent of All That Have Been and Shall Be.”
82. “A second time the monastic said: ‘Friend, I did not ask you if you are Brahmā, Great Brahmā… I asked you where the four great elements cease without remainder.” And a second time Great Brahmā replied as before.
83. “And a third time the monastic said: ‘Friend, I did not ask you that; I asked where the four great elements -- earth, water, fire, air -- cease without remainder.’
“Then, Kevaddha, Great Brahmā took that monastic aside by the arm and said: “Monastic, these devas believe there is nothing Brahmā does not see, does not know, is unaware of. That is why I did not speak in front of them. But, monastic, I don’t know where the four great elements cease without remainder.
“And therefore, monastic, you have acted wrongly. You have acted incorrectly by going beyond the Blessed Lord [the Buddha] in search of an answer to this question elsewhere. Now, monastic, you just go to the Blessed Lord and put this question to him, and whatever answer he gives, accept it.’
“And therefore, monastic, you have acted wrongly. You have acted incorrectly by going beyond the Blessed Lord [the Buddha] in search of an answer to this question elsewhere. Now, monastic, you just go to the Blessed Lord and put this question to him, and whatever answer he gives, accept it.’
84. “So that monastic, as swiftly as a strong man might flex or unflex his arm, vanished from the Brahmā World and appeared in my presence. He prostrated himself before me, then sat down respectfully to one side, and said: ‘Venerable sir, where do the four great elements -- earth, water, fire, air -- cease without remainder?’
85. “I replied: ‘Monastic, once upon a time seafaring merchants, when they set sail on the ocean, took in their ship a land-sighting bird. When they could not see the land themselves, they released the bird. The bird flew to the east, south, west, and north, to the zenith, and to the intermediate points of the compass. If it saw land anywhere, it flew there.
“But if it saw no land, it returned to the ship. In the same way, monastic, you have been as far as the Brahmā World searching for an answer to your question and not finding it. And now you come back to me. But, monastic, you should not ask your question in this way: ‘Where do the four great elements -- earth, water, fire, air -- cease without remainder?’
“But if it saw no land, it returned to the ship. In the same way, monastic, you have been as far as the Brahmā World searching for an answer to your question and not finding it. And now you come back to me. But, monastic, you should not ask your question in this way: ‘Where do the four great elements -- earth, water, fire, air -- cease without remainder?’
“Instead, this is how the question should have been put:
‘Where do earth, water, fire, and air find no footing?
Where are long and short, small and great, fair and foul --
Where are “name and form” wholly destroyed?
And the answer is:
‘Where consciousness is signless, boundless, all-luminous,
That’s where earth, water, fire, and air find no footing,
There both long and short, small and great, fair and foul --
There “name and form” are wholly destroyed.
With the cessation of [the impersonal process of] consciousness this is all destroyed.’”
Thus the Buddha spoke, and the householder Kevaddha delighted and rejoiced at his words.
- *Translator Maurice O’Connell Walshe (1911-1998) was one of the foremost British-born Buddhist and Pali scholars, Vice-President of the Buddhist Society, Chair of the English Sangha Trust, and author of the definitive translation of the Digha Nikaya or Long Discourses of the Buddha.
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